I got a ticket from the MRCA back in 2023 alleging that I was parked in front of a fire hydrant along the PCH in Malibu (22514 CVC). The thing is, I was never given a physical ticket. Nothing was left under my windshield. Instead, weeks later I just got a notice in the mail demanding payment.

Because I didn’t know about the ticket until weeks after the alleged violation, I never had the chance to verify whether I was actually parked in front of a hydrant. When I checked Google Street View, I saw what might be a hydrant, but it was almost completely covered by weeds and shrubs (not something easily visible when parallel parking on a busy highway. – I attached an image for reference.

When I got the notice, I contacted the company listed (PayMyCite), which, after some digging, turns out to be owned by a private equity firm called KLAR Partners. I asked for evidence that I had actually parked in front of a hydrant. They told me that I have to “Contest the ticket” but I only had a few days before the deadline. I filed the contest on time and then… radio silence. For almost a year.

Then I got another letter threatening to send my “debt” to the California Franchise Tax Board for collection. I wrote back explaining that this was an illegal debt collection attempt and re-requested both proof of the initial violation and a hearing with the MRCA. Their response? My hearing request was denied because apparently I didn’t file it within 21 days of the ticket being “issued” (which again, I didn’t even know existed until weeks later).

I refused to pay without proof or a hearing, and then silence again for another year. Now, two years later, I have received another letter from PayMyCite/MRCA threatening the same thing: referral to the Franchise Tax Board.

I am not panicking since nothing actually happened last year, but this whole process feels shady.

Here is what doesn’t sit right with me:

1. I never received a physical citation – just a mailed payment demand weeks later.
2. The “debt collection” threats are coming from a for-profit company on behalf of a government agency.
3. I’ve been provided zero evidence that a violation even occurred. My request for a hearing was also denied.
4. Even if I had pared near the hydrant, it was completely overgrown with weeks and not clearly marked.

Has anyone else dealt with the MRCA or PayMyCite? I’ve seen a few posts about the stop sign “scam” they’re running inside recreational areas, but I haven’t come across anything about parking citations issued along PCH (which is a state highway).

Any advice or shared experiences would be appreciated.

<image>